[MDOsprey] Nighthawk stuff

Jim Felley (IRMSS668@SIVM.SI.EDU)
Tue, 21 Sep 99 10:34:42 EDT


A number of responses, both private and on MDOSPREY, convince me
that late September is indeed 'late' for nighthawks.  Now I wish
I had kept better notes about the ones I saw in October 1996!
   In general, I think that those of us in the Piedmont may be
on some 'nighthawk flyway'.  A discussion on BIRDCHAT earlier this
year suggests that in our area and in the midwest, flocks of up
to a hundred or more are not unusual.  Elswhere in the US, (e.g.,
the Atlantic coastal plain), people seem to feel themselves lucky
if they see one or two.  There has been some mention of 'nighthawk
counts'. Is there a coordinated effort such as the hawk counts in
the eastern US?  Have there been any results published?
   Of interest may be the BBC count results that are on the Patuxent
NWR server.  A map of population density of nighthawks is at
   http://www.mbr.nbs.gov/bbs/htmra/h4200ra.html
   A map of population change is at
   http://www.mbr.nbs.gov/bbs/htmtr/h4200tr.html
   and a breakdown of pop. change by regions is at
   http://www.mbr.nbs.gov/bbs/htmt/t4200.html
Fascinating stuff!
                          Jim

                          Jim Felley
                          Smithsonian Institution
                          irmss668@sivm.si.edu